Article compiled by BR Natalie
Whenever we need a new product, we're faced with the inevitable question - do you have to spend more for a good product? Can 'budget buys' ever really compete with an upmarket brand? Our popular feature Save or Splurge is all about finding out.
Every fortnight we pick a product type and find two similar products from very different ends of the budget spectrum. 3 members put both products to the test and report back.
We asked our first trio to put Clarins Total Cleansing Oil ($49) and Za Deep Cleansing Oil ($14) to the test. Here's how they got on!
Beauty Review Expert: worldofsooziewong
I was really excited to be lucky enough to be chosen for this Save or Splurge trial. I hadn't used a liquid oil cleanser before. I usually use Lush's Ultrabland which is somewhere between a balm and an oil cleanser. I do love high end products but I love a bargain just as much, so this was the perfect trial for me!
Now if I was going to base my decision on face value (packaging, product appearance and smell) then the Clarins oil would have been the winner for me. Yes, I am that fickle. So I really wanted to love it. However, what really matters to me and my fellow BR beauties is how well these products work. Both of them work really well, magically melting makeup away. I still can't work out where it goes to. Both rinse away effortlessly, leave clean, soft skin. This is my kind of cleansing! Za did remove my eye makeup with just a few rubs, whereas the Clarins required more effort and quite few more rubs. Unfortunately this resulted in very sore and irritated eyes for me which continued the next day. I was really glad when it was time to stop trialling Clarins and switch to the Za oil, which didn't irritate at all. So,this is what leads me to my decision....
It was a closely run race but the winner of Save or Splurge for me was.....Za! This is the first Za product I have used and I was impressed with how well it performed for the price. I will however be returning to my beloved Ultrabland. Mainly because I'm not a big fan of mineral oil which features heavily in both these products. Yes, it is any amazingly effective cosmetics ingredient but it doesn't agree with everyone. It is also incredible cheap and frankly, it has no business being in a high end brand like Clarins! Neither of these products have a 'use by' date (probably because of their high mineral content) so I will eventually use them up. They are versatile as they also make a nice morning clause as well as a one cleanse makeup remover. I recommend anyone wanting to try oil cleansers picks up the Za one first. If oil cleansing is for you, you could then consider a high end product if that is more your thing. But really, Za is the only one you'll need.
Thanks to Beauty Review for the opportunity to take part in a Save or Splurge trial. I loved it! Well maybe not the stinging eyes....
Verdict: Save
Beauty Review Hero: Sarahbeautynz
When the cleansers arrived, I worked out that I had the time to use each one for 5 days straight. I wanted to ensure they both had equal opportunity to prove themselves, and if my skin was going to react, I would know which one to point my finger at. Alas, there were no reactions, phew! For reference, I wore a full face of makeup every single day!
The similarities between the two products begin with the fact that they both come with a pump clip/stopper (unsure of the official term, haha). This makes travelling much less stressful as you don't have to worry about finding a bag full of oil upon reaching your destination (I'm sure I'm not the only one this has happened to!). They both contain mineral oil, so if you're not about that life, neither of these will be for you! The similarities end with the fact that neither of them seem to contain irritating ingredients in levels that should cause your skin to react, hoorah, I love this part!
The bottles vary greatly in size, with ZA being 100ml and Clarins being 150ml. I have to use 4 pumps of ZA vs 3 pumps of Clarins to remove the daily cake from my face, so by my calculations, the Clarins one is going to last me twice as long. Even with this little maths-with-makeup segment, the ZA option still works out cheaper. The oils themselves feel very similar, although I found the Clarins cleanser broke down my makeup just that little bit easier than the ZA version.
The clincher though, the part that sealed the deal, was that the Clarins cleanser left my skin 100% clean, there was no need for me to double cleanse, which I have had to do for years! I loved that I was able to remove a step from my already lengthy skincare routine, unlike the ZA cleanser, which required me to go in with a separate cleanser to remove the film it left behind on my skin, which to be honest, I'm just too lazy to continue doing just to save a few dollars.
Verdict: Splurge
Beauty Review Hero: Danni
When I received this package I already had it in the back of my mind that I would prefer the Clarins one, being the higher end product. Even when I saw the packaging it was like they had put more effort than ZA. But looks absolutely are not everything!
The bottles were very different; the Clarins one was clear with impossible to read red writing on the yellow oil background. It really shouldn’t have had writing. It was extremely difficult to read, and I consider myself to have great eyesight! The ZA one was a lot easier with the grey bottle and the colour writing it wasn’t as hard to read. Packaging wise the ZA won even though the Clarins one looks more luxurious. The ZA bottle is practical as you can read what’s on it! Both bottles have pumps.
The smell of both of them was very different. The Clarins one was more of the classic smell you’d expect with them which is more of an acquired taste. It’s a bit of an earthy smell and although I don’t mind it, I would prefer it was different. Its not a nice neutral smell like some products. The ZA oil cleanse was just a nice clean smell, it was by far better smelling than the Clarins one and was easier on the nose although I did find it lingered.
The product itself was quite similar. They both turned milky with contact to water. They also both removed makeup! One was better than the other in that department. The Clarins one removed lippy and foundation along with powder products no problem but eyeliner and mascara became a lot more difficult sometimes the staining of the product would remain even after an additional couple of times with rinsing and reapplying the oil at which point I would give up. The ZA one however at most took two times to get everything off! Mostly on the first go though with no staining whatsoever. It felt a lot more effortless and I did really like this one, where as the Clarins one felt like it had to be buffed in to work.
Overall I think you can definitely SAVE it was by far my favourite and would probably use the Clarins one as just a morning cleanser instead of a makeup remover. It was good just not great. That is why ZA is the clear winner for me. It’s an amazing product and super affordable. I would recommend everyone to pick it up.
Verdict: Save
This was a great read and awesome reviews. Yay, glad a save won! I think it might be the first time a save product has won over a splurge? Now I've really got to try the Za oil.